


One Hundred Different Kinds of Awkward

by SuperKat



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Coming Out, F/F, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 06:22:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3109334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperKat/pseuds/SuperKat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra and Asami come out to the bending brothers.  Bolin takes it better than Mako, which isn't really saying much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Hundred Different Kinds of Awkward

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters associated with this story. I ever meet the people who do, I will hug them both and it will probably be really awkward. Maybe I'll just thank them instead. In either case, no infringement is intended with this story.
> 
> Spoilers: Legend of Korra series finale. Duh.

Bolin takes it better than Mako. Not that that’s saying much.

“Okay,” he says, stroking his chin and looking around the room, making eye-contact with no one. “Well. Yes. This is…something new. I mean,” he coughs out a nervous sort of laugh. “Huh. So. I have a…question?”

“Okay,” says Asami. Of course she’s as calm and collected as she is on any other day; meanwhile Korra’s fighting the impulse to bury her face in her hands, making a mental list of all the things she’d rather be doing than having this conversation.

_Fighting a dragon in the Fire Nation_ , she thinks as Bolin scratches his head, looking back and forth between her and Asami. “So…I mean I could have been wrong here, but – I thought you both liked, you know, guys?” Mako has fixed a resolutely blank stare on the floor.

_Fighting Toph while blindfolded_ , Korra thinks.

“You’re right,” says Asami. Her hand rests on Korra’s arm and Korra feels some of her muscles relax. “We do. And now, we love each other.” She has that tone she gets when she’s explaining something like car engines to Korra, that _I’m not going to be patronizing, but I totally could be because this is the simplest thing in the entire world_ sort of tone.

“Right, no, yeah,” says Bolin. “No, I mean…that happens sometimes. And…” He takes a deep breath. “I love you both, and…that’s great. So…do we hug now?”

“Sure,” says Asami. For a moment, as Bolin embraces them both, Korra feels for the first time that everything is going to be fine. Then they separate, and she notices that Mako hasn’t so much as moved.

“Wow,” says Bolin, “this must be about a hundred different kinds of awkward for you, Bro.” Silence. “And…that probably just made it worse. One hundred-one. Sorry.”

_Being eaten by a desert shark._

Korra sits on a cushion, wishing for the second time in two days that Air Temple Island stocked alcohol.

“Mako?” says Asami. Mako blinks once. He opens his mouth as if to speak, still not looking at either of them, then closes it.

“He’ll be okay,” says Bolin, gripping his shoulder, while Korra thinks, _listening to one of Reiko’s speeches_. “It’ll just take a minute. So…the spirit world trip was good then? I mean, obviously-“

“Yes,” says Asami. Bolin looks grateful that she cut him off. “It’s an amazing place. And it was great to have a break from everything.” They chat for a minute. Korra watches Mako, starting to feel annoyed. She thinks about demanding that he say something, when suddenly he’s looking up and they’re making eye-contact and she’s not sure what to make of his expression.

“So,” he says. Bolin and Asami instantly fall silent. “You both…like girls.”

“Yeah,” says Korra.

Mako’s brow furrows as he looks back and forth between them. “Really? Even you, Asami?”

“Hey!” Korra snaps. (Bolin smacks his forehead, muttering, “Not helping, Bro.”) “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” says Mako, his eyes wide. His gaze shifts to the door for a moment, then back at Korra. “Nothing. Really.”

“I dated you too,” says Korra, leaning forward and gripping the cushion with her fingertips.

“I know, I know,” says Mako. “I didn’t mean it like that.  I just meant that-”

“Hey,” says Bolin. “You know what I just realized? That means everyone in this room has dated Korra now.” Silence. Everyone looks at him. “And…that sounded a lot less awkward in my head,” he says, running a hand through his hair.

Korra finally gives in and buries her face in her hands, feeling the heat start to rise in her cheeks. _Meditating,_ she thinks, _for an entire day_. She can feel Asami’s hand rubbing circles on her back.

“Do you think Aang ever had this problem?” Bolin continues. “Or is this the most incestuous Team Avatar ever?”

“Bro,” says Mako, rubbing his temples. “You did _not_ just bring that word into this conversation.”

“No!” Bolin shouts, looking horrified. “I didn’t mean…no! I’m sorry. No. I just meant-“

“Bolin,” says Asami. “Stop talking.”

“Okay,” Bolin murmurs, his shoulders slumped.

_Intentionally losing a match to Tahno._

There is a moment of the most awkward silence Korra has ever experienced. Which, after last night, is saying something. The door opens a crack. Opal peers into the room, and Bolin lights up. Opal looks around nervously.

“Is this not a good time?” she asks. “I just got back, and I heard your voices, but if you want me to leave I can-“

“No!” Bolin shouts, leaping to his feet and rushing to drag her into the room. “Please stay. I mean,” he nervously looks over his shoulder at Asami and Korra, “It’s okay if she stays, right?”

“Of course,” says Asami. “Opal, we were just sharing some news with Mako and Bolin. Korra and I are a couple now.”

Opal gasps, her hands clapped in front of her mouth. It’s the first instantaneously positive reaction to their relationship that Korra and Asami have seen. Opal squeals with delight, before rushing forward to hug them both.

“Okay,” says Bolin. “I admit it took me a little bit longer to get there, but this is good. See? Good news.”

“Good?” Opal says, clasping her hands together, her fingers linked. “This is fantastic! I’m so happy for both of…oh.” It’s at this exact moment that she notices Mako. Her face falls. “Oh.” And the tension is back in the room, as quickly as it had dissipated.

Korra bows her head, thinking,  _press conferences_ as Bolin mutters, “Yeah…”

“Look,” says Asami, sounding angry for the first time. Korra looks up in surprise, to find her scowling at Mako. “I appreciate that this is weird for you, but you have to understand that Korra and my relationship is not about you. It has nothing to do with you, actually. It’s going to take some time to adjust, sure, but this is how it is now. And if you’re at all our friend, you’ll understand that, instead of making this harder than it already is.”

Mako looks up. He makes eye-contact with each of them in turn. “You’re right,” he says, his shoulders relaxing. “I’m sorry. It’s just hard for me to process.”

“You’re not the first to say that,” says Korra, rolling her eyes.

Mako fixes her with a look of genuine concern. “Your parents?”

“Yep,” says Korra. "We told them last night."

“How did they take it?”

“Pema says they’ll come around. I haven’t actually seen them today, so…I don’t know what's going to happen, or how long it will take, or what.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.” Suddenly, Korra has no desire to talk about her parents, or Tenzin, or what the press is going to do when they get a hold of this, or anything else. “Do you guys want to do something? It’s been way too long since Team Avatar did something fun together.” “

You mean like stake-out-the-guy-who-betrayed-his-city-to-kidnap-you fun,” says Bolin “or more like patrol-the-city-for-equalist-criminals type of fun?” Korra smiles.

“Let’s go for a drive,” Asami suggests. “I think it would do us good to be off Air Temple Island for a while.”

“You do realize,” says Bolin, “that literally everything in Republic City is closed, all the people are gone, spirit vines are blocking the streets and there is a portal to the spirit world directly in the center of it?”

Asami shrugs, with that small, easy smile that always makes Korra’s heart race. “That’s what makes it fun.” She looks at Korra, takes her hand, squeezes it. “You in, sweetie?”

Korra smiles back. “Sounds perfect.”


End file.
